Bringing It All Back Home by Bob Dylan (Columbia/1965) - From Dylan’s fabled acoustic to electric transition period. Enjoyably clattering NYC garage folk. Dang, but he sure could crank out the lyrics. And cool ones, at that.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (1968) - This is the book on which the movie Blade Runner was based, and some editions use that title instead (wouldn’t you know it, that’s the version I got stuck with back in the 1980s). Other than the basic setup there is almost no resemblance between the movie and the book — the book being altogether more strange, daft and interesting. Besides the androids, there’s a lot of musing about empathy and entropy. And household pets. One of PKD’s relatively minor works, I think, but fine stuff regardless.

Bleak House by Charles Dickens (1853) - My ‘antiquity read’ for this summer. Taken as a bare outline, this could be a soapy potboiler, but with Dickens’ endless twists, twisted characters, ornate sarcasm and wild prose, it’s a quite a ride. English jurisprudence, upperclass twits and false philanthropists all take a beating.

Bo Diddley: His Best by Bo Diddley (MCA-Chess/1997) - And here’s another guy that’ll make you want to grab an electric guitar. Rhythm with a capital R and blues.

Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’ b/w Dark Part Of My Mind by Crazy Elephant (Bell/1968) - Classic Super K Productions bubblegum, with hairy rock dude lead vocals, a pounding beat, ‘heavy’ organ and a VU-ish guitar break. All in less than 2 minutes. The B-side is a classic Super K ‘freakout to be sure the DJs play the A-side’ piece — heavy fuzz guitar, psychedelic attitude and bad trip lyrics. Who could ask for more entertainment from such a tiny piece of vinyl.

Indian Lake b/w Newspaper Blanket and Poor Baby b/w Meet Me At The Wishing Well by The Cowsills (MGM/1968) - Two singles, 3 of the 4 tunes drawn from their Captain Sad And His Ship Of Fools LP. A-sides are bass pumping bubblegum (driving bass guitar parts are an undersung element of classic bubblegum), B-sides are dreamy balladry with social commentary lyrics.

Rinky Dink b/w Getting Right by Dave “Baby” Cortez (Chess/1962) - A couple of later organ based instrumentals from the man who first hit in the 1950s with The Happy Organ. Think of a ruder cousin of Booker T. & The MGs. Rinky Dink would improve the ambience of any skating rink. Getting Right is more of a mid-tempo blues, with the Chess sound in full effect. Record label is the boss modernist design with yellow and orange arrows.